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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1161659" data-attributes="member: 6294">"Bounty Hunters" by Jim Gillispie's Module Workshop - Part 1Mantreus whistles jauntily as he steps out of the small, rather shabby-looking shop.  There is a very satisfied look on his face as he smoothes the front of his shirt, fingers brushing over the small lump that is the only evidence of his new set of finely crafted thieves' tools.The whistle dies abruptly as the rogue freezes in place, his face going white, before he dives back inside the safety of the shop's dimly lit interior.  Half-crouched beside the dirty window, he peers out into the street, eyes fixed on a group of three people as they ride by.Only once he is sure the trio has disappeared from view does he throw an apologetic smile at the shopkeeper and slip out of the store."Bounty hunters." He mutters, hurrying in the opposite direction. "I hate bounty hunters."An hour later, his immediate alarm has subsided, and the rogue-turned-sorcerer has begun making some quiet enquiries."An orc, a woman, and a shifty-looking fellow." He mentions them casually as he leans against the stained wood of the third tavern he's visited, "Funny-looking group, I thought.  Did you see them?""Believe I did." The barkeep wipes the bar with a soiled cloth, sweeping up the unusually large pile of coins Mantreus has left there, "They was askin' about some woman named Marble McCray.  Said they was lookin' for her for somethin' she stole.  Said she was travellin' with three women and a runt - a halflin' - with a likin' for puns and limericks.""Really?" Mantreus drains his ale with a shrug, as if the news is of no import to him. "Sounds like as odd a group as the three that are looking for them."Less than ten minutes later, he is hammering on the door of the Padre's room."Bounty hunters!" he gabbles, when the Priest finally appears, "Chasing Macwood and the others!"The Padre rubs sleep out of his eyes.  Though it is the middle of the day, the Priest is still bone-tired from tending the sick in the recently plague-stricken town."I know." He yawns grumpily, "They came through town a couple of days ago.""And you didn't say anything?" Mantreus stares at him, "I know of these hunters.  If they catch the others, they'll kill them!"The Padre's already less-than-cheerful expression takes a sharp turn for the worse."I was helping the sick." He pointedly replies, "Where were you?  They said they couldn't find you."The rogue's mouth closes with a snap.  He shrugs away the question,"I'm here now.  We have to go after them and help the others.""Agreed." The Padre's expression eases, as he turns his attention to the safety of his companions, "I think the local priests have the sickness under control, now, so there should be no reason we can't leave.  It's fortunate Stormstrider returned this morning.  You go and tell him while I gather my things.""What about Anastria?"The Padre can't quite hide a grimace,"Her too, I suppose.  If she's willing to come."So it is that, within four hours of Mantreus sighting the bounty hunters, four members of the Company of the Random Encounter head out in pursuit."Did the kobolds leave as they said they would?" the Padre asks Stormstrider as the group bounces along the road.  The suspension of their wagon makes the ride less than comfortable, but at least they have learned a little more about handling the horses in the past few days.  Besides, the priest is firmly of the opinion that a third class ride is better than a first class walk, any day.The elven ranger, riding a newly-purchased warhorse, is the only one not in the wagon.  He shrugs his broad shoulders expressively,"They did for the two days I followed them."Mantreus, lying at the back of the wagon with his eyes closed, Shadow curled up on his chest, waves a languid hand,"Those little beasts are the least of our problems." He declares, "Better to worry about what we're going to do if we catch up to those bounty hunters.""We're going to go straight past them." The Padre answers readily, "Before the others left Duvik's Pass, they told me they were heading for a town called Newkeep.  We'll try to reach it before the hunters, and join forces.  Together, we should be a match for those three.""Don't count on it." The rogue mutters darkly, before lapsing once more into silence.Continually pushing their pace, the group moves on, making use of the elves' excellent night vision to press on into the hours of darkness.  The effort brings reward: they manage to pass the bounty hunters while the latter are still four hours short of the village of Newkeep."It's a good job we knew where the others were heading, or we'd never have passed them." Mantreus remarks once they are out of earshot of the hunters, "They'll have to keep stopping to ask for news of Macwood and the others.  Still, we will probably only beat them to Newkeep by an hour; maybe two at the most.  Doesn't leave us much time to find the others and prepare for a fight.  Not against those three, anyway."</blockquote>

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